A Choir Blog from the West of Scotland

Dr Crotchet’s Choral Remedies #3

Well…it’s that time of year again, when the days are dark, and speckled with random explosions and your house has become a haven for gigantic spiders…and, although it may simply be the result of the damp gale that blows in every nook and cranny, and the addition of 3 new layers of jumpers, adjusting to a new season can occasionally leave you feeling somewhat disconnected.

DIAGNOSIS: The Glooms

PRESCRIPTION: Arvo Part – Magnificat

This isn’t a long piece of music, but it is the world in a grain of sand. Complex and dissonant in places, both spacious and dense, there are also huge lush harmonies and a consistency that carry you safely through it at a reassuringly steady pace.

There will always be darkness, so it is best to get to know it a bit better…embrace it! Invite the spiders in for a party, turn the lights off, and give the Magnificat a hug.

DOCTOR’S NOTES: The Doctor’s recommended version is with the Estonian Philharmonic Choir and the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra conducted by Tonu Kaljuste, but the link below will also work perfectly well. The spiders here are enjoying it!